Did anybody notice??

I made a change to this blog a few weeks ago with an update. I have since corrected this. Can anybody tell me what it is??

Have a great race!!

Sunday morning at 7am is the time 2200 friends of the sport will be hiting the swim at IM-MOO. The weather couldn't be any better, the venue is spectacular but those damn Wisconsin state birds. The Mosquitos are out in full force. Watch out for them!

On a lighter note. My buddy JWM is going for his IM medal. We met a few years ago on www.trinewbies.com when we were beginners in the sport. Throughout the years we have had a lot of trash talking at races we have done together. The last being the Spirit of Racine half Ironman which he got the best of me yet again. I say hats of to you Jeff, this one is for you! A bit of Kopps for the finish ;)

Product review - 2008 Zipp 999 wheelset

It has been a while since my last product review (see Powertap SL last spring) but this one was worth the wait. I was looking for a disc wheel for the longer distance triathlons next year. I have used the Renn 575 disc, waiting for a Hed disc and still on the waiting list for a Bontrager Aeolus disc. The Renn and the Hed offer a clincher version of the disc, the Bontrager and the Zipp do not.....or so I thought. I went looking at the Zipp website and noticed for 2008 they now offer a clincher version! No more gluing tubbies for B-!!

I contacted the rep at Zipp about demoing a clincher disc. They sent one out to the local bike dealer for me to try. It was a very pleasant experience. They were easy to deal with and helpful in setting it up with the dealer. I find it odd that I work at a place that makes the Bontrager discs and I can't even demo one, I can't even buy one as they keep them on such a limited inventory that professionals get them and not the general public. Not real good for getting your product out there isn't it?

The first week I had the disc I was not able to use it. We had major flooding from the torrential rains coming down for 7 days straight and we were even declared a federal disaster area because of all the flooding. The second week was much different. We had sunny and pleasant weather. Perfect for riding and riding fast! I took the bike to work with the Zipp proudly displayed at my desk. It sure did get lots of looks and comments. Mind you, all positive. The first ride was a 20 mile loop of gently rolling hills. The disc was smooth and responsive. They made me ride harder to keep up with the wheels. I ride a TTX 9.9 and these wheels were made for it. The clinchers are a bit heavier than their tubular counterparts, but the familarity with the clinchers edges the weight differential. If I am that concerned with a few hundred grams, I will skip that last twinkie! It makes more sense to lose a thousand grams off of me than to purchase the wheels that save those grams. The familiarity of the clinchers is a big seller for me. Discs were once resreved for those who ride tubulars but not anymore. I could change this tire and tube no problem out on the course without having to worry about carrying a bulky tubular out there on the course.

Overall impressions are very favorable of Zipp, and the product speaks for itself. The disc is very solid and it felt natural under the TTX. It accelerated smoothly and rolled effoertlessly on the flats as well as the rollers. I would recommend this disc to anybody who wants to ride the best. You will race harder just riding the wheel. This disc is truly the best you can buy.

I'm back!

This week I started riding at work again. I have logged about 120 miles this week and it feels great! After having really not ridden since the end of July it came back pretty quickly. Lets keep this going through the winter in preparation for an early season half if everything works out....